


Luminescence

by absolutelyCancerous (cal1brations)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Anko Family - Freeform, Bathing/Washing, Family Feels, Magic, Other, they're all so cute oh my goD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2018-02-04 19:49:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1791070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cal1brations/pseuds/absolutelyCancerous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He kicks and wiggles in Denmark’s grip as the three of them, him and Denmark and Norway, head outside towards the dreaded coldness of a promised bath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Luminescence

If there’s one thing Iceland seems to hate, it’s the cold water of the springs at bath time.

He kicks and wiggles in Denmark’s grip as the three of them, him and Denmark and Norway, head outside towards the dreaded coldness of a promised bath. Norway _would_ be the one carrying his tiny self, but since he’s being so difficult, Denmark was the one to scoop him up, tight with his grip but not to the point of cruelty.

“If you didn’t go playin’ around in horse shit earlier, you wouldn’t need a bath, Ice,” Denmark explains as they come up to the edge of the water. “But now you stink, so we gotta clean you up, lil’ buddy.”

It’s night now, the sky dotted with a million stars that reflect like a mirror image from the water’s surface, but even in how beautiful it looks, Iceland shakes his head, hurriedly trying to wiggle out of Denmark’s iron grip.

“It’s gonna be too cold,” Iceland mumbles, dreadfully shy, and tries to hide into Denmark’s shoulder, even as the Dane is trying to pulls his hands away from clinging to his shirt, lest he rip his tunic.

“Just splash around, it’ll warm up right quick! Me an’ Norge are gonna go in with ya anyway-- right Norge?”

Norway nods, though Iceland isn’t looking to see it, and undresses quietly, seeing as he isn’t the one currently holding their squirming sibling. When he’s finished, he holds his hands out for Iceland, taking the boy from Denmark with a bit of difficulty, seeing as Iceland wiggles and whines the entire time.

“I don’t like being cold,” he tells Norway as he’s set down to the ground, Norway moving to tug up his robes and set them aside. He doesn’t say much, but he never does, so Iceland only continues to frown and shake his head, and start worming right away when Norway picks him back up, trying not to sway from the boy wiggling in his arms.

He begins to wade into the water, ignoring when Denmark whistles at his naked backside, holding Iceland on his hip as he steps into the water. Norway _likes_ bathing-- all of his older brothers do-- which Iceland doesn’t understand, because it’s cold and boring, especially when it’s their whole family in the stillness of the water.

Iceland begins to cry when the water licks at his feet and legs, freezing him over immediately. He holds on tight to Norway, because now he knows he won’t be getting out without a cleaning, and he doesn’t want to be dropped, lest he end up even colder.

Norway ends up in the water up to the bottom of his chest, and Iceland subsequently being in up to his waist, as long as he’s in Norway’s arms. His teeth are chattering and he’s absolutely freezing, but he likes that Norway doesn’t splash him, only moves slowly through the water, effortlessly gliding.

Iceland watches over Norway’s shoulder as Denmark slips into the water, rolling down under the surface and swimming over to close the space, before he pops up right behind Norway. The lack of reaction from him makes Denmark frown and whine a little, but Norway rolls his eyes, turning to face him and watch as Demark slicks his wet hair back from his face.

“See, Ice? Not so bad!”

Iceland’s teeth chattering makes a compelling argument.

He doesn’t know how to swim, and even if he did let go of Norway, his face wouldn’t be able to breach the surface of the water because of his height, so he can’t quite swim and play around; not that he would if he could, because Iceland has seen how rowdy Denmark can get in the water, nearly drowning Finland a few times.

But, Denmark taps Norway, getting his attention, and moves back to hold his hands out, grabbing for Iceland’s. “Lemme swim with him for a little bit, so he warms up!”

Iceland likes the sound of that, and paddles at Denmark so that Norway will allow their hands to reach. Once he’s got Denmark’s big hands gripping his wrists, Norway lets go, and Iceland’s body floats along the water’s surface. Denmark slowly begins to pull him along, smiling as he watches Iceland’s face light up at being able to move through the water like his big brothers, even if it’s Denmark doing all the work for him; he likes getting to be like the big boys.

Denmark swims with him for a time, not once letting the boy touch any real danger as he splashes around with him, much more careful as he plays with Iceland compared to any of the others. Iceland laughs a good bit, which makes Denmark feel a little less guilty about dragging the kid out here, and when he begins to tire from swimming circles with Denmark, the elder takes him back to Norway, who’s washing out his hair quietly, away from their games.

Both of the older boys help wash him up, getting the wicked scent of animal waste off him (he’s only been playing outside, what else would they expect from him?) and trying to make the little boy laugh every now and again. Denmark’s pretty funny, of course, but Norway has _magic_ , so he’s hard to one-up.

“Can Brother do a trick for us?” Iceland asks, bangs hanging far too low into his eyes and masking his sight of Norway as he asks the question. “Because I was good?”

“You cried when we got in the water,” Norway tells him very plainly, smoothing back a section of his hair to be clipped down with the cross pin poking out between his lips.

Iceland frowns, looking down at the water quietly. Denmark holds him comfortably as Norway fixes back his hair, showing Iceland how to make little swirls in the water with his finger; it’s not magic, sure, but it keeps Iceland from looking so crestfallen with Norway’s words.

Eventually, though, Norway makes a little sigh, settling into the water up to his shoulders, looking at Iceland quietly.

“Only _one_ ,” he says very clearly, and Iceland immediately lights up, nodding eagerly as he holds onto Denmark with excitement. Denmark looks less excited than himself, rather he looks a little thoughtful with his wide grin, but Iceland doesn’t question it, only waits for Norway.

“If you make ripples, it’s not gonna work, so keep still,” he warns, mostly to Denmark, who nods and settles Iceland a little more comfortably on his hip, making sure the little child is watching their brother.

Norway’s hands move to settle just atop the surface of the water, not submerged, only resting there. He stays quiet for a long moment, keeping his gaze down on his hands, but it only takes a moment for the magic in his palms to take effect in the water.

The stars that reflect here in the water begin to take on their very own glow, just as bright as the ones dotting the sky above them. Iceland watches in silent awe, and he hears Denmark’s breath catch as they’re surrounded by another _universe_ , alight all around them here in the quiet water in the night. Everything glows, is illuminated by the light the water is giving off instead of the light of the stars up in the heavens, and Iceland reaches out to skim his fingers over the surface, to see if he can grab a handful of his brother’s magic in the water.

Their little bathing pool stays alight for a while, as long as Norway’s hands remain on the surface of the water. Slowly, however, it fades when he lets his hands sink back into the water’s depths, and both Iceland and Denmark watch quietly as it returns to its normal, severely-lesser glimmer in the regular pattern  of night.

However, once he’s done, Denmark instantly cheers, hooking his other arm around Norway and planting a kiss on his wet cheek. “What a show, Norge! I’ve got _goosebumps_ from all that-- how’d ya manage somethin’ so cool for me an’ Ice?”

Norway cringes away from Denmark’s grip, shaking his head as he scoops Iceland from his arms, already heading back to the water’s edge, decidedly finished with their bath. Denmark calls out for him a few times, but subsequently just ends up following him out of the water, holding Iceland for him as he dresses, and vise versa.

On their way back to the house, Iceland falls asleep in Norway’s arms, his thumb popped into his mouth and sucked on as he’s cradled close to the warmth of Norway’s neck and chest, snoozing silently there.

“No bedtime stories tonight,” Norway tells Denmark quietly, and Denmark makes a little, delighted hiss of “ _yes_!” under his breath as they head back inside to put the boy to bed. Norway tucks him in, making sure he’s warm and safe beneath his covers before he retires to bed himself, as does Denmark.

Iceland dreams of warm baths and Norway’s magic, sleeping peacefully throughout the night.


End file.
